Classic Buttered Spaetzle

On the list of things that I am particular about, spaetzle is written in pen. The pieces should be irregular but many of them should be about an inch long. The texture should be fluffy and dumpling like but with the tooth of a buttered noodle (not mushy, not chewy). If you whip them up quickly and treat them gently, they will make you happy.

Spaetzle is a comfort food that can make your meal seem both cozy and fancy. Keep this classic recipe for when you need a simple side or a blank canvas to turn up a saucey side or vegetable entree. Spaetzle fills the potato and pasta loving part of the heart.

Author

Helen Park

Servings

2-4

Category

Main Course for 2

Side Dish for 4

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup water
• ½ tsp Baharat
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper, ground
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• -
• 2 Tbsp butter
• ¼ cup parsley, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water, half full, to boil. The pot should be slightly smaller than your spaetzle maker so you can rest it on top.
2. Measure the spaetzle ingredients, except for butter and parsley, into a bowl and whisk to just combine. The batter should be a little lumpy like pancake mix.
3. Once the pot of water has come to the boil, lay your spaetzle maker on top of the pot and push 1/3 of the mixture through the holes, using long strokes with the plastic scraper. The water should be simmering but not boiling like crazy. Boiling the spaetzle too hard or too long can make them tough and/or fall apart.
4. Tap the spaetzle maker against the top of the pot (to make any hanging batter fall in) and set it aside.
5. Remove the spaetzle, draining well, as they float. They cook quickly so they may already be floating. Give the water a gentle stir to make sure the spaetzle have all been poached (and not piling on top of each other).
6. Add them to a large pan with the 2 tablespoons of butter. Continue with 2 more small batches until all of the remaining batter is cooked.
7. Warm the spaetzle and gently fold through with butter and season with black pepper and salt to taste. You may need a splash of the spaetzle water to loosen the mixture and some low heat in case the spaetzle has cooled while waiting.
8. Finish with parsley andserve.